Aftermath
by Eve Baker
Summary: what I think should happen next season, following this year's season finale
1. Surprises

The Aftermath  
  
Disclaimer: the characters in this story and what has happened in their lives up till now doesn't belong to me. What I think should happen after this year's season finale does. So that's what this is.  
  
Chapter One  
  
"Willow, you're gonna be okay."  
  
"I'm so sorry," she sobbed into Xander's arm as they sat in what looked like a desert, directly in front of the temple Willow had raised from the ground to end the world.  
  
Meanwhile  
  
"I suppose we should go find them now," said Giles.  
  
"I guess-- are you positive you're okay?" asked Anya  
  
"I'm fine alright, it's not like it was my first near death experience or anything."  
  
And more meanwhile  
  
"Fine, help us out of the hole why don't you?" Buffy muttered to herself as she pulled herself and her younger sister out of a half- collapsed cave.  
  
"Yeah, they could've helped," said Dawn.  
  
And even some more...  
  
"Bring it on, you wanker!" said Spike as he lunged at the gladiator, ignorant that the world nearly ended minutes ago... again.  
  
One last meanwhile  
  
"C'mon Wil', I know how you feel, she died, she left you... I'm sorry, I should have helped." said Xander.  
  
"When would you have done that? When I was killing her murderers? When I was torturing Giles? magicking Buffy? Draining worlocks? I didn't give you a chance. I should have gone to my friends before magic."  
  
"Yeah, you should have, but if you keep saying stuff like that, you're gonna become part of a Hallmark commercial or something," he said, picking himself up from the ground and pulling her with him.  
  
"You're right.... And I love you too," she said, and they started to walk.  
  
"Speaking of the one thing that compells us all, I have a surpise for you," he said.  
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
"Someone who loves you... the way I can't," here he turned and looked at her, "Willow, you're my best friend, When we half-dated I was just infatuated with you, and we both knew it, it was fun but I've only ever been able to love you as a friend. Unlike someone else. I think you two need to talk."  
  
"You mean Tera? I tried to call her back, raise her, like, like Buffy. But she died humanly and so I can't."  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to remind you, but I meant someone else." She looked at him, perplexed, who did he mean? Without thinking she teleported them both to the magic shop and as he looked around, even more confused than she was at his comments, she healed the wounds she'd given him and dragged him inside, where she started putting things back together.  
  
"Oh, so you two are back--" started Giles.  
  
"There you are! My god, what happended out there?!" said Buffy, her lip twitching as her head moved to the side a ways.  
  
"Uhm," said Xander.  
  
"Yeah," said Anya and Dawn together.  
  
"What happened? Giles told me about the magic--"  
  
"Giles? Is he okay? I really didn't mean to try and kill him, well, I mean, I did.... But I was operating under the influence," sputtered Willow, back to normal.  
  
"Influence of what? what happened here? Why am I here?" came a voice from the door, they all whirled around, Dawn and Willow each nearly tripping on the rubble strewn about the floor.  
  
"Oz," breathed Willow. 


	2. Apologies

The Aftermath  
  
Disclaimer: the characters in this story and what has happened in their lives up till now doesn't belong to me. This si just what I think shouls happen in the next season.  
  
Chapter Two  
  
"Hey... everybody. So, what is it you need, other than a new hangout?" he said, seeming cheerful and distant at the same time, taking careful looks over his shoulder at Willow, who was siletly freaking out in the corner.  
  
"Well, Oz..." said Xander, "maybe we should go into the back room to discuss this."  
  
"Uh, okay, I mean, you called," Oz said, as if confused, or possibly trying to look through his eyebrows, as he followed Xander out of the main room.  
  
"Well what was that all about?" said Buffy, tilting her head again.  
  
  
  
"What was that all about?" asked Oz, "What happened here? Why was Willow 'operating under the influence'"  
  
"Two words: Tera died," said Xander, "The Bad shot Tera, Willow tried to raise her, failed, got really mad, got under the influence of black magic, killed the guy who killed Tera, got even deeper into the darkness, went on an evil rampage, tried to kill all her friends and end the world, Buffy couldn't help, I had to calm her down. She's a little messed up right now, she really needed someone who cares. That's why I called you. I love her like a friend, but you really loved her. Enough to let her go."  
  
"I will always love her. But I can't. She wolfs me out, remember? I mean, I know the end of the world bit was big and all, but that's what happens when you lose people you love. I spent almost a month as a wolf when she chose Tera."  
  
"But that's why she needs you. Even if you can only be her friend, you can love her the way I can't. This is almost as hard for me as I know it is for you. I can't do anything for her, all I can do is tell her I care about her, I can never really love her that way. And love is what she needs right now. We all have to be her family, even you."  
  
"I'll stay for a month, okay? And only because I care about her, not because I want anything to happen, alright?"  
  
"Thank you," said Xander quietly.  
  
  
  
They walked back into the main room, where Willow was trying hard to explain why she could teleport, heal, and levitate things.  
  
"Maybe it's just some leftover stuff, or I could've had it the whole time, and just not tapped into it until I went all.. you know... evil."  
  
"Residual magic effects or a constant power that has only been changed. That's what I just said," said Giles impatiently.  
  
"Hey everybody, Oz is going to be staying with us for a while, okay?" said Xander. Willow became quiet and a little frightnened. She stayed like that while they finished cleaning most of the rubble off of the floor, her with her hands because she didn't want to use magic. As they were all leaving though, Willow called out to Oz, he turned back to talk to her, while Xander waited for him.  
  
"Oz, I-- I'm so sorry, about everything," she said.  
  
Authors Note:  
  
Thank you all SO much for reviewing my fanfic, I wasn't going to write this chapter today, but I decided that, since you asked so nicely (complements are nice), that I would. I hope you like it as much as the first one.  
  
I too have always believed that Oz and Willow should be together. I know it sounds really lame, but I cried every time he left. I have nothing against lesbians, I have some good friends who are homosexuals, I just don't think Tera loved Willow as much as Oz did. I am actually very glad they bumped her off the show, now Oz can make a comeback.  
  
No worries to those that think this is boring, I plan to run a FULL storyline to this, as if it were part of the show. I already have a big bad in mind, a comeback for someone else (who most of you hate but who I think will dice it up a bit), and any suggestions on what to do with Spike are welcome, I only have a rough idea of what will happen to him.  
  
Again, thank you, thank you thank you. 


End file.
